What happens when the Z Warriors aren’t around and normal people have to fend for themselves against some of Dragon Ball‘s scariest villains? That’s the awesome idea behind Dragon Ball: The Breakers, the latest Bandai Namco game set in the popular anime franchise. While the the title can’t quite live up to its potential and is a bit underbaked, there are still enough interesting ideas to make it worth checking out for those who want to see the series from a different perspective.
The Breakers kicks off with a creative tutorial that features Trunks as a time patroller that saves the player from doom. The only problem is that the brief tutorial doesn’t actually do a good job of explaining how the gameplay works. Its scripted events run through the basic win conditions, but little in terms of what else players can do and what items they can use. This leads to a lot of initial confusion, especially if you get selected to play as a villain online as there are strangely no tutorials for that role, but it clicks after a few matches since the game isn’t all that complicated.
When playing as a human — or whatever sort of ridiculous creature you make with the character creator and unlockable gear — your goal is to search for keys that will activate a time machine, which will then lead to the group escaping what seems to be their certain demise. Time is of the essence as the villains start off in a weaker initial form, thus making the beginning portions of a match the only safe time to explore. Once the enemy powers up, they’re able to destroy portions of the map and down a character in just a few blows.
The Breakers does a great job of making the villains seem just as threatening as their anime counterparts, which players can feel no matter what team they’re on. It has a neat effect of having the character’s heartbeat audibly play when the villain is nearby, upping the tension. This game of cat and mouse is a risky one and sometimes sacrifices are necessary as a distraction to help the other players launch the time machine. Groups really need to work together in order to have a chance and the power fantasy as a villainous raider is quite stellar once leveled up — which occurs by downing survivors, eating civilians, and destroying parts of the map. That evil power fantasy of being a raider provides a delightful balance to the stressful loop inherent to the survivors.
Of course, there are a few caveats to the core idea since no matter how smart the civilians are, they aren’t escaping from the likes of Frieza, Cell, and Majin Buu without some help. Thankfully, through some time disparities and general anime weirdness, players are able to collect energy and temporarily channel the spirits of warriors, giving them the ability to fly and fight back using special techniques. This leads to some truly awesome highlights — imagine being cornered by Cell then triggering a transformation and turning the tide of battle by whooping the Android’s ass. These player-driven stories are empowering and only occur through careful preparation as a good start is always pivotal to overcoming the odds and triggering climactic and memorable moments.
The Breakers is fun because of its premise and license, but there are reasons to doubt its long-term appeal. It only currently has three ugly maps full of texture pop-in, which is a real shame considering all the unique terrains and locations that a Dragon Ball game can pull from. There are also a limited number of items to find during the match — the highlight of which are the Dragon Balls that can summon Shenron for a potentially game-altering wish — so matches can get a bit repetitive as the same strategies are deployed in each match. As other asymmetric online games have shown, variability is key. However, if the game is supported properly and continues to get new maps, items, and meaningful unlocks — the current battle pass peaks with a measly farmer skin for dozens of hours of play — then maybe there is a real future for it but that remains to be seen.
Dragon Ball: The Breakers is a fantastic idea that is currently let down by a real need for extra polish and content. The core loop is interesting but with little variation, unsightly landscapes, and some terrible technical problems, the game’s potential is firmly capped. Despite it being a budget release, it’s a little hollow even for those who are willing to look past its many rough spots. A few wishes from Shenron and some patches might be able to fix these issues over time and make it into a more robust offering but there might not be any players left by the time that happens (if it happens at all).
SCORE: 7/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 7 equates to “Good.” A successful piece of entertainment that is worth checking out, but it may not appeal to everyone.
